Octavio Ortiz

Taubman Centers Inc. has appointed Jeramy Burkinshaw to lead the Mall at University Town Center following the departure of mall manager Octavio Ortiz.

Burkinshaw, a five-year Taubman executive, will take over mall operations, retailer and community relations, and marketing for the shopping center, according to a press release. The move comes just three weeks after Taubman officials confirmed the departures of Ortiz and marketing-sponsorship director Kimberly Dominguez, who had led the mall since it opened two years ago. Taubman hasn’t disclosed the circumstances of the original leadership team’s departure.

Burkinshaw brings 14 years of operational and managerial experience to his new position. He most recently served as the operations director of Taubman’s City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. He also served on the grand opening team for four Taubman shopping centers, including the Mall at University Town Center. The 880,000-square-foot Mall at University Town Center launched in October 2014. The $315 million project was a partnership between Taubman and Manatee County-based Benderson Development Company.

“Having served on the grand opening team for The Mall at University Town Center, I am very familiar with the unique position the center holds within the community,” Burkinshaw said in a press release. “This is a vibrant market, and I look forward to contributing to the center’s ongoing success.

Prior to joining Taubman, Burkinshaw held senior operations and public safety and security management positions within industry leading organizations in Utah, including IPC International, Vinyl Fence Corporation and Owell Precast.

He also recently served as vice chairman of the Planning Commission in Herriman, Utah, was on the operations curriculum committee for the LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, and has served as a Wish Granter for Make-A-Wish Utah in Murray.